Cost of Living · CH vs TR
🇨🇭 Zürich vs 🇹🇷 Istanbul: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $3,208 in Switzerland vs $745 in Türkiye — 76.77% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Türkiye
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -81.08%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -81.08%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -81.08%
Closest to Switzerland prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -37.5%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -37.85%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -37.85%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Switzerland | Türkiye | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $2,413 | $457 (18,014 TRY) | -81.08% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,931 | $365 (14,411 TRY) | -81.08% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $4,413 | $835 (32,941 TRY) | -81.08% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $23.17 | $6.26 (247 TRY) | -72.98% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $96.54 | $26.10 (1,030 TRY) | -72.96% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $13.84 | $4.21 (166 TRY) | -69.58% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $1.32 | $0.51 (20 TRY) | -61.36% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $3.84 | $1.48 (58 TRY) | -61.46% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $4.09 | $1.58 (62 TRY) | -61.37% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $12.02 | $4.64 (183 TRY) | -61.4% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $4.81 | $1.86 (73 TRY) | -61.33% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $5.77 | $2.23 (88 TRY) | -61.35% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $14.42 | $5.57 (220 TRY) | -61.37% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $2.40 | $0.93 (37 TRY) | -61.25% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $7.72 | $2.09 (82 TRY) | -72.93% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $8.77 | $5.45 (215 TRY) | -37.86% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $6.44 | $1.74 (69 TRY) | -72.98% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $2.76 | $1.07 (42 TRY) | -61.23% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $81.77 | $24.90 (982 TRY) | -69.55% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $3.46 | $1.05 (41 TRY) | -69.65% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $5.15 | $1.39 (55 TRY) | -73.01% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $2.32 | $0.63 (25 TRY) | -72.84% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $1.04 | $0.65 (26 TRY) | -37.5% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $252 | $76.60 (3,022 TRY) | -69.55% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $88.06 | $26.81 (1,058 TRY) | -69.55% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $56.61 | $17.24 (680 TRY) | -69.55% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $64.36 | $17.40 (687 TRY) | -72.96% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $18.02 | $4.87 (192 TRY) | -72.97% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $38.62 | $10.44 (412 TRY) | -72.97% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $60.29 | $37.47 (1,478 TRY) | -37.85% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $98.65 | $61.31 (2,419 TRY) | -37.85% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $322 | $86.99 (3,432 TRY) | -72.97% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Türkiye than Switzerland?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $745 in Türkiye versus $3,208 in Switzerland — 76.77% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Türkiye?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $2.09 in Türkiye (≈ 82.46 TRY), versus about $7.72 in Switzerland.
- How much is rent in Türkiye compared to Switzerland?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $457/month in Türkiye versus $2,413/month in Switzerland (-81.08%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.